Looks can be deceiving
by Shaded
Summary: Even the most un-obtrusive person can hide a mind like no other. Each mind is unique but some are innately... out of the ordinary
1. Prologue

Prologue...

To have passed by Raine you wouldn't have looked twice, she was very normal looking, so normal that you would probably forget her the moment she passed from sight. Dark wavy hair, light grey eyes, stocky athletic stature, fair skin. Overall nothing remarkable, nothing out of the ordinary. That's why there is a saying, 'looks can be deceiving.'


	2. 1

1-

In the merc world rule number one was number one. You had to watch yourself, no one else would. Age, sex, race, condition, it didn't matter a merc was a merc and mercs do only one thing. They hunt. They're born hunters, hunters of humans, hunters of anything they're paid for. And any merc can tell you, when an animal is cornered is when they fight the most fierce.

Stemming the blood flow with her hand, Raine glanced towards a heavy-set man across from her, part of the three-man team put together on this run.

"Dales, the med-kit, behind you, fourth locker." Raine never wasted words and the wound in her upper shoulder wasn't making her any more amiable for dialogue. Grunting the older man threw the med-kit to her, watching as she removed gauze and bound up her shoulder. Grinding her teeth threw the pain.

"Nice slash you've got there." Dales remarked, a course chuckle issuing from him. Raine, finishing with the kit, glanced back to the man, her face expressionless. "Didn't move quick enough, eh?" Dales persisted, not noticing Raine's stiff demeanor. "Shut up, Dales!" Called the pilot from the front of the ship, a D27 old model, somewhat rusty but still in good enough shape for cyberspace.

"Didn't see you all that much in the action, should cut you out some for that." Gray glanced back at the two, his hands resting comfortably on the controls.

He had put together the team for capturing convict Alan Broode and capture him they did, the man was now safely settled into a cryochamber, not due to wake until they arrived at their destination, a comfortable slam.

Dales expression changed to a sullen look, it was true that Raine had had the hard part in getting to Broode, lightweights always did, and in this case Raine hadn't gotten away unscathed as she usually managed.

However distrusting mercs were with one another they knew teamwork, to some degree, was essential to capturing a target. And in this case Dales had been abit shirking, his hesitance resulting in Raine's wound. Raine hated incompetence, almost as much as she hated her current team, she was relishing the moment they got Broode to his slam and the job was done, payday complete.

Dales shutting up, Raine ignored the two men, staring expressionless out of the viewport, into space, various planets and stars winking in and out of vision-range, the swirled lights of the galaxy making an exotic appearance. Raine was used to being in space, she was hardly out of it, she didn't spend much time on-planet, not unless the target was a hard one and Raine hadn't found one yet that she wasn't capable bringing down, fairly quickly, and with a competent team.

Wincing slightly as Gray switched the ship's interior lights on, Raine pulled her dark-lensed glasses down over her eyes.

"Right, into crychambers. We've got two weeks till we reach Vesport 3."

Rising stiffly, her shoulder still paining her Raine moved to her alloted chamber, punching in the buttons on the side panel she watched as the chamber sealed, red and blue fluids beginning to leak into the small space. Almost immediately Raine's body relaxed, responding instantly to the chemicals that induced space-sleep.


	3. 2

2-

With a jolting shudder Raine woke, the door of her cryochamber unsealing and sliding open. Glancing around she realised she was the first to wake, the others, Dales and Gray would shortly follow. It was two weeks since she had last been conscious. Raine shrugged her bad shoulder, glancing down at the almost healed wound. She could never get used to the space of time that went by so fast when you were in cryo-sleep. Raine smiling slowly reflected that she'd spent a good part of her life in cry-sleep, an odd way to spend it but if you were in space as much as her...

Still flexing the stiff muscles in her shoulder Raine made her way across the open cabin of the ship, reaching a locker she opened it removing several energy bars. They didn't taste like much but they fueled the body, especially after waking from two weeks of no nourishment.

Chewing steadily she made her way up to the front of the cabin to the control panel, glancing down at their destination she noted that they were only an hour from landing time on Vesport. Time for Gray to wake, Raine could land the ship in a pinch but she liked to have a more experienced hand on the stick. Especially with precious cargo and Broode was precious, there was a nice little sum on his head.

On cue the hissing noise of Dales and Gray's chamber doors could be heard.

"Shit, that was one long nap!" Dales announced loudly, stretching his bulky frame. Gray, following his example walked up to the front of the cabin, where Raine was. "How long?" He asked, glancing at Raine. "A little under an hour." She answered steadily, her dark shades still covering her eyes. "We've got a few minutes to prep." Nodding, Gray flipped several switches, running a thorough system check on their landing gear. It was always good to be cautious, you could never be sure when machines felt like giving out.

"Broode should be coming out of cryo soon." Announced Dales, still in the back emptying the food locker.

"So keep an eye on him." Barked Gray irritatedly, "All we need is for him to get loose. You'd better have done a damn good job with those wrist-binders."

Raine, seating herself in he copilots station watched silently out the viewport, her shaded eyes gazing aimlessly. She was waiting for this job to be over. As she sat various thoughts flowed through her mind, some causing her to frown.

This job had taken longer than it should have, a whole five days longer. Broode was smarter than she'd given him credit for. This incident furthered the purpose of her personal motto, 'never underestimate and never overestimate, there's a fine line between the two.' The line was so fine that it was easily missed, Raine wasn't used to misjudging.

Her frown deepening she pondered excuses to feed her Father, the father that knew nothing of her real life, the life she led as a merc, a bounty-hunter. The life that was endangered every time she took a job. One of these times she would slip she knew, something would happen and her quiet existence on the other side, the side on which she was a normal girl, would collapse and fall in on her.

What would her Father think if her knew, if he knew that ever since the age of ten Raine had been involved in the underground world between planets.

Raine jaw tightened, almost in rebellion, it was her life, her way of doing things. The only reason she kept it from her Father was because... Because it would hurt him, he would be sad. While Raine could take anger she could not taking sorrow, disappointment, not from her Father. He was her weak area.

It had been easy at first, slipping off planet from her school, making excuses here and there to be gone a few days. When the school's staff thought she was home her Father thought she was at school. The arrangement played out nicely, for the most part, but lately... Jobs had been getting harder, her position moving upwards to the higher levels of the trade. School was almost done, she was several years ahead of others her age.

Her Father knew she was... different. He'd known it since he'd found her, dumped unceremoniously in a alley-corner, only half-alive. He was the only one in her life that had ever cared what happened to her, she couldn't hurt him. Anyone else but not him. To be close to people was a weakness, Raine had known that for a long time, but her Father was a weakness that must be taken and accepted.

"Raine!"

The girl's head snapped towards Gray.

"Go check on Broode, Dales is stuffing his face. fifteen minutes till arrival on Vesport. Get him ready."


	4. 3

3-

Dumping her large duffel bag on the floor of her room, Raine, out of pure habit, scanned the immediate area, her shaded eyes thoroughly probing every familiar corner of her room. After a moment she paused letting out a small sigh. All was as it should be.

She was just changing from her loose dark coloured clothes that she'd worn for the Broode job when the noise of someone entering downstairs met her ears. Straightening and throwing on comfortable cargo's and shirt she walked downstairs, a slow smile spreading over her pale face.

"Da'?" She called, her raspy voice not able to hide the note of happiness that crept into it.

"Raine, that you?" Her adopted Father's voice washed all the last two weeks of concern and watchfulness from Raine's mind. She was a child again, just one of the population like everyone else, at least, for the moment.

Smiling broadly a tall lanky gray-headed man walked forward, in his late forties, his arms outstretched to take Raine into a firm hug.

"Your back early aren't you?" He asked after a moment, his smile spreading crease marks over his face. Raine, pushing back her glasses in the already darkening room, answered, her tone even out of long practice, "Break let out earlier than usual, I wanted to be home. Besides, I've only two months left till I'm out of there. They're too easy, classes I mean. I don't learn much."

Her Father grin widened, if possible, his pride showing clearly. "That's because your already smarter than your instructors." He replied, a booming chuckle rising from his throat.

Raine smiled again, "If I am it's your fault. Not all that many children grow up with a Father that gives them lectures and hypotheses on scientific matters when they're only four. Also, being an electrician doesn't help matters." She laughed then, her hoarse rasping voice pleased.

Later that night Raine, a data-pad in hand, flipped through the various view-cams stationed in and around the house. The merc in her was always uneasy, was always watching for anything out of place. Only a year ago she'd installed various sensors and viewing systems throughout her Father's home. It never hurt to be cautious, even if no-one besides herself knew who she really was. What she did for a living.

Finished with her double-checking Raine let the data-pad rest, rising from the various controls and search systems that made up her desk she stretched out on her bed, unshaded eyes looking upwards through the glass ceiling, into the starry night.

Her love for stars, constellations made it easy to be in space, she spent hours observing the different moons and suns of various planets, examining their atmospheres, the way they were shaped. Her unique knowledge of physics and the way of planets workings made her appreciate their complexity even more.

Letting out a slow sigh Raine relaxed, enjoying the feel of home. No place could ever make her feel like this place, this was her own spot.

Raine loved her life, she relished the thrill and chase of merc life, money wasn't important to her. Besides, she was ridding planets of menacing murders and criminals. There really was no downside to being a bounty-hunter. Raine shifted uncomfortably on her bed. There was one downside... Her Father.

Even though she told herself that she was doing numerous planets favours by catching convicts she knew deep within that bounty-hunters were, in a general sense, an unsavory lot. Her many dealings with various teams let her know that all to well.

Mercs were the scum of the earth, they would do anything, anything, for a price. They hunted more than criminals, they would hunt whatever they were paid to hunt, innocent men, women, children... It didn't matter.

Raine had learned merc laws the hard way. Through experience. She had been cheated her first time on a team, dumped after doing the dirty work and it was only until after that she'd realised their objective had been an innocent man, wanted dead by a political enemy.

After that she choose her own business, making sure she knew what was what. Convicts were her only prey, and preferably alive. But... dead was always an alternative, after all, they were criminals. They didn't deserve any better.

Pushing herself deeper into the covers on her bed Raine let herself drift, her thoughts become hazy, distorted until she fell into the first real sleep she'd had in over two weeks.


	5. 4

4-

With a jolt Raine woke, her body tensed and ready even before her mind had alerted her to what had startled her. The com handset beside her bed was beeping, it's steady annoying noise grating Raine's nerves.

Grabbing up the pad and pushing a button that would identify the source of the call. It came up blank. Raine's brows drew together, a frown forming on her face, unavailable. That usually only meant one thing. Mercs. They liked their privacy.

Pushing a separate button she asked quietly, her hoarse voice abrupt, "Yes?" Across the comset an oddly familiar tone spoke.

"Yeah, I heard your needing a job." Raine's brows drew together even more, she liked picking her own jobs in her own time. The only thing positive in a merc contacting her was that it meant she was gaining a reputation. She was wanted for part of a crew. Obviously talk got around.

"Maybe you heard wrong." She answered steadily, not committing but still leaving the conversation open. All the while she was searching her brain, where had she heard this voice, it was familiar but distant. It must have been along time ago. Maybe she'd done a job with the man before.

The voice was now impatient, it's course tones demanding.

"Listen, if you want a job, and I mean a job that's going to pay it's way twenty times over I'm your guy. I give fair cuts."

Despite herself a slow smile was appearing in the corners of Raine's mouth, mercs voluntarily giving fair cuts? She listened carefully before answering.

"Who is it?"

"The name's Riddick, Richard B."

Raine lapsed into a prominent silence, thinking furiously. It really meant she'd moved up if someone wanted her for this sort of job. She knew the name Riddick, what merc didn't? Riddick was the most wanted and most feared convict alive. Impulsively Raine wondered how high the bounty was for him. After a long minute she made up her mind.

"Count me in. Where and when?"

"You on planet?"

Raine gave a confirming grunt, guarding her information carefully. It wouldn't do for anyone to trace her location to Helion Prime, her home-planet.

"Where?"

She had been anticipating the question and answered quickly, not bothering to keep the curt tone out of her voice.

"I'll be in New Mecca tomorrow, at the landing docks." There was a small pause before Raine added, "And my employer's name is?

"Toombs."

The silence lengthened as Raine immediately recognized the name. Toombs... It would have had to be him. She doubted very much that the merc had any notion who she was. Well, as long as she got her fair cut she wouldn't have much of a problem doing business with him. It might be better if he didn't know who she was after all.

Various memories ran quickly through her head. Disturbing thoughts. Raine stoically pushed them away. Now was not the time.

"Tomorrow then."

She finished with a sense of absoluteness and without waiting to hear further she shut the comset off, setting it back down on the surface of her desk area. Rubbing one hand over her aching eyes she reached for her darkened glasses, the room was getting to bright.

Glancing at her computer center she noted the time, 5:39 AM. It was time to be moving. She'd have to explain to her Father that she'd be gone.

Almost involuntarily Raine sighed, while she was looking forward to yet another chase, and one that would prove to be undoubtedly one of the most challenging yet, she couldn't help but think of her Father once more. Of what his reaction would be if he knew...

The small figure shook her head suddenly, resolutely pushing thought once more from her. It didn't do to think to much on such matters. If she didn't know any better she would think she was getting soft... She was always soft when it came to her Father.

Once again switching thought pattern she turned to the matter of Toombs. It would be interesting to see him again, to see how he had worked out his team, to see if the team was up to the job of capturing Riddick.

If Raine knew Toombs, and she did, she knew he'd go for the highest money and that meant the target would be gotten alive. Getting Riddick dead would be hard but alive... Well, it was supposed to be impossible, Raine defied impossible though.

Richard B. Riddick. A shadow of a frown crossing the girl's pale face she moved over to her search machine, one kept specifically by mercenaries. Quickly keying in Riddick she watched as a very impressive record on the man scrolled into view.

It was always smart to make sure you knew the target's background history, after all, the past always affected the present or for that matter, the future as well.


	6. 5

5-

Glancing at her chronowatch strapped to her wrist Raine rose from her sitting position, out of habit checking the figures nearest her for weapons. Finding nothing to worry her she laid a few credits down on the table for her food before exiting the small pub that she'd eaten in.

She had arrived in New Mecca early in the morning, making sure she had all her gear ready. So far so good, now it was off to meet her team. Raine was particularly interested in seeing how Toombs taste was in mercenaries, she hoped for all their sakes that they were good. Stories of Riddick's exploits ran rapid, apparently he was good. Very good.

Shouldering her way through the crowded streets Raine shifted her heavy black bag from one shoulder to the other, her free hand pushing away the lock of stray hair that pushed itself into her eyes.

In several minutes she had reached the main docks for New Mecca landings, several hover-ships and various space-crafts coming in and out. Turning, Raine scanned the nearby docked ships, searching for one that would be commonly used among mercs, fast light and serviceable, that was usually the prototype.

She didn't have far to look, only a few dozen yards from where she stood was a sleek D30, a nice model, beside it was the weathered figure of Toombs, his ragged face turned away from her, talking to a woman opposite him.

Absently wondering where Toombs had jacked the ship, she was a beauty after all, Raine once more checked the people around her. Regarding passerby's with casual suspicion. Raine was always suspicious. After another moment she picked up her pace, walking quietly towards the D30.

The woman beside Toombs spotted her and with a word to her employer the two turned to meet the small, dark clad figure that moved unobtrusively towards them.

As she saw Toombs face full on flashes of vivid memory met her brain. Raine frowned despite herself, she'd thought she moved beyond this yet the re-collation of her past affiliation with Toombs was still painful, or at least, angering. Getting ahold of her ill-timed emotions Raine stopped a few feet from the pair of mercs.

"Toombs?" She asked quietly, trying not to show her previous upset.

The man nodded, examining her scrutinizingly head to toes. Raine knew he was looking for weakness, for some crack that would put her off the team. A small smile lit it's way inwardly, he wouldn't find anything wrong with her skills as a merc, she was quite sure of that.

"You showed, thought you weren't going to make it. Kind of young aren't you?"

Stiffening Raine kept a frown from crossing her face. She didn't appreciate the man noting her age, after all what did it matter as long as you were competent. He'd been willing to take her own two years ago. Deciding to ignore his last statement she answered,

"Let's do this. Your team's ready?"

"Yeah, your the last of them. Just getting ready to take off."

With a brief nod Raine pushed past the two, climbing up the gangplank into the low-lit interior of the ship. Removing her glasses to get a better view, the girl set her bag against the side of the wall along with an abundance of other gear. Toombs and the other woman followed her into the ship.

While she was still looking around the woman stepped forward to stand beside her.

"Nice shades." She commented with a smile at Raine's glasses. Raine glanced at her briefly, she was tall and heavily muscled, several knives were placed over the surface of her body, obviously she knew what she was about.

"Custom." She answered with a smile of her own.

"I'm Luna," The woman said, "But call me blade, everyone else does."

"Raine, and is there a reason for the nickname." Raine laughed as she said this, her hoarse voice making her chuckle sound more like fingernails scraping down a chalkboard than anything else.

Blade answered with a laugh of her own, decidedly more melodious than Raine's.

"Actually yes, kind of attached to that sort of weapon, but here, come on I'll show you the rest of the crew."

Walking forward to the pilot's cabin Raine reflected that Toombs hadn't done a bad job of choosing his crew, not with specimens like herself and Blade.

Stooping to enter the hull she blinked as a bright light met her eyes, quickly she thrust her shades back on, her eyes still smarting from the impact of the brightness.

"Marek, Dill, look sharp. Here's our last team member, the one we've flown all the way to New Mecca to pick up." This came from Blade who was cuffing a dark headed younger looking fellow on the side of the head. The two pilots swiveled in their chairs, regarding Raine with much the same scrutiny as Toombs.

The first one, Marek, was very dark-coloured, black hair, black eyes, dark complexion, he was thin but wiry and was now taking a friendly swipe back at Blade. The second, Dill, was shorter and very stocky with a barrel like chest and broad bony face over which a shock of blonde hair stood wildly.

"This here's my kid brother, Marek." Blade introduced with a grin to Raine. Examing the two more closely Raine immediately saw the sibling likeness between the two, their body structure was much the same, tall and strong. "He's the pilot of this beauty. And then the copilot, Dill Lymens. This son of a bitch would steal his mother's teeth if it'd earn him a penny."

Raine nodded to the two of them, feeling curious despite herself, she wanted to see how Toombs new team would hold up in action.

"Kind of young aren't you?" Was the immediate question fro Lymens who was grinning candidly at her. Raine didn't like the look any more than the question which was all to familiar.

"Does age really matter?" She asked quietly, trying to hold the note of sarcasm back from her voice. "Just as long as I can kill you before you've blinked it shouldn't." She added, a tone of finality to her voice.

From behind her she heard Toombs heavy footsteps, a second later his rough voice shouted. "Marek, Lymens. Are we getting this beast off planet or what? Let's move!"


End file.
